Creating the Perfect Afternoon Tea

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Afternoon Tea has slowly become a foodie trend that doesn’t seem to be budging! Nowadays, it’s a popular activity amongst the young and old where a group of friend’s book in for a social occasion and enjoy a selection of sandwiches, sweets, scones and pastries.

One of the main components of an afternoon tea is the setting; whether you are serving it in a country cottage, a hotel or in the comfort of your own home the scene is essential. But what really gathers people’s interest is usually quirky crockery, the fabulous treats and the tiered cake stand! We have selected some of our favourite pieces that we feel will really set your afternoon tea apart from the rest.

Firstly, this stunning 3 Tiered Slate Cake Stand is made of porcelain with a natural pigment finish giving an overall slate effect. This cake stand is the perfect twist on the traditional styled cake stand, with dark slate being a perfect back drop for all your colourful cakes and pastries.

This Rustic Wood & Copper Cake Stand is the perfect stand to add a touch of decadence and elegance to any setting. This rustic wood and copper look is definitely trending at the moment amongst tableware and would go perfectly with some of our other copper accessories, such as our wine cooler or our copper martini glass – perfect for a group looking for a liquid lunch filled with cocktails or champagne. Finish the rustic look with this stunning coffee pot, an essential with this stand!

Our Churchill Stonecast in Duck Egg is definitely an option that is in trend at the moment. This range varies in colours but the duck egg colour is a little brighter and perfect for the summer months. This features teapots, cups & saucers and a milk jug which are all essential for your table top for an afternoon tea. These beautiful pieces also feature a gold rim, which adds a touch of glamour to the crockery. Check out our Churchill Stonecast range for more colour options.

Choosing you’re spread for an afternoon tea can be quite tricky. It’s always important to try including elements of the classic high teas and adding a unique modern flare to them – egg and cress sandwiches might appear beside miniature wraps, or a madeira cake beside a tiny glass of trifle. One thing that’s for sure is scones are de rigueur to any serving of an afternoon tea. There’s always ways to add a twist to your scones – add chocolate chips, fruit, raisins and many more – but we’ve decided to provide you with a fool proof recipe that will start you off on your venture in creating the perfect afternoon tea spread.

1. Heat oven to 220c/fan 200C/gas 7. Mix the flour, salt and baking powder into a large bowl. Add the butter and rub together with the tips of your fingers until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. After, stir in the sugar.

2. Put the milk in a jug into the microwave and heat for 30 seconds until its warm. After, add the lemon juice and vanilla extract then set aside. This method actually sours the milk slightly, making it quite similar to buttermilk, which can be tricky to find.

3. Make a well in the dry mix, then add the liquid and combine it quickly with a knife – it will seem pretty wet at first. Scatter some flour onto the work surface and tip the dough out. Dredge the dough and your hands with a little more flour, then fold the dough over 2-3 times until it’s a little smoother. Pat into a round tin about 4cm deep.

4. Get a 5cm cutter (one with smooth edges usually work better) and firstly dip it into flour, then use it to cut shapes in your dough until you have four scone shapes. You may need to roll out your dough again to cut another 4 scone shapes.

5. Brush the tops of the scone shapes with the beaten egg and then place into baking tray in oven.

6. Bake the scones for 10 minutes until they have risen and are golden on top. We, of course, recommend adding butter, clotted cream and a choice of jam to serve on the side. Perfect for any Afternoon tea!

Want to buy the products featured in this post? Check out our online store at www.hughjordan.com or Pop in to our shop at 1 Chancery Court, Bride St, Dublin 8! We’d love to know what you love about afternoon tea are so tell us on Instagram or Twitter!